A Bond Undone

by Jin Yong

  The moment he pressed his hand on Huang’s chest, it skidded away. The martial Master’s torso was slippery, as if slick with oil.

  “Why are you holding back? You think I can’t withstand your precious Dragon-Subduing Palm?”

  Guo Jing mumbled an apology and launched the second move, Leap from the Abyss. Inhaling deeply, he drove his left hand forward as his right palm darted low to strike at Apothecary Huang’s abdomen.

  “That’s more like it.”

  Guo Jing held back his strength until his fingertips touched Apothecary Huang’s clothes, just as Count Seven Hong had taught him.

  Yet, in that split second between unleashing the energy and feeling it reaching its target, Guo Jing’s connection with his opponent vanished – the martial Master had tugged in his stomach.

  It was too late to retrieve his force now.

  He heard the crunch of bone snapping out of joint.

  Guo Jing jumped a few steps back. A shattering pain shot down his wrist. He could not lift his hand.

  Never put all your strength into the attack – he remembered Count Seven Hong’s warning too late.

  The Freaks were outraged, but they could not fault Apothecary Huang. He had kept his word. He had not dodged or struck back.

  “Now it’s my turn.”

  The air stirred with Apothecary Huang’s words. A flying palm. Though in great pain, Guo leapt back and ducked sideways. He dodged the palm thrust, but threw himself straight into the kick that followed, which morphed into a sweep and then a hook. Guo Jing was sent sprawling to the ground.

  “Papa, no!” Lotus threw herself over him.

  Apothecary Huang’s strike eased into a claw, and he grabbed at Lotus. The moment he had lifted her out of the way, he sliced down with his left hand.

  Not a hint of mercy. He meant to kill.

  The Freaks charged in unison. Gilden Quan was the closest and he swung his steelyard into the wrist of Apothecary Huang’s attacking hand.

  Apothecary Huang took no notice of the attack until he had set Lotus down. Then, for the first time that night, he turned his attention to the Freaks. In an instant, he had snatched up Quan’s steelyard and Jade Han’s sword, striking them together. They clattered to the ground in four useless pieces.

  “Shifu . . .” But what could Zephyr Lu say to dissuade his teacher?

  “Pa, if you hurt him, you’ll never see me again!” Lotus sprinted towards Lake Tai.

  Stunned by her words, it was some time before Apothecary Huang reacted. By then, all that remained of Lotus Huang was a straight line cutting into the surface of the water.

  He followed her to the shore and gazed at the swell she left in her wake. He knew she was an excellent swimmer, having grown up with the tides of the East Sea. As a child, she often spent whole days in the water. And this was only a lake. But it is in the nature of parents to worry.

  Zhu Cong took advantage of the respite to set Guo Jing’s wrist, and this stoked Apothecary Huang’s anger further. “Kill yourselves. All seven of you. Now. You will suffer much more if you don’t.”

  Ke Zhen’e held his iron staff sideways across his chest. “A true man has no fear of death. What is there to fear in suffering?”

  “The Six Freaks of the South are finally home. If we should meet our fate by Lake Tai, we’ll have no regrets,” Zhu Cong added. They were now in combat formation; whether they had their weapons or not, they were poised.

  I can’t let my shifus throw their lives away because of me! Guo Jing scrambled forward and stood in front of his teachers.

  “It was I alone who caused Hurricane Chen’s death. My shifus have nothing to do with it.” He took a step towards Apothecary Huang. “I will pay with my life.”

  Then it occurred to Guo Jing that, if Apothecary Huang struck him down, here and now, given his mentors’ fiery temperament – especially First Shifu, Third Shifu and Seventh Shifu – they would immediately take up arms to avenge him. It would still end the same way, with all of them dead because of him.

  So Guo Jing straightened up and said, “However, I have yet to avenge my father’s death. Would the Master kindly grant me thirty days to fulfil my duty as a son? Then I shall go, willingly and promptly, to Peach Blossom Island to meet my fate.”

  By now, Apothecary Huang’s rage had subsided somewhat and he was more occupied with thoughts of Lotus. In no mood to wrangle with Guo Jing, he gave a dismissive wave of his consent and disappeared into the night.

  Everyone was left rooted to the spot, dazed by all that had transpired in just one evening. No-one believed Apothecary Huang would let Guo Jing off so easily. One thing was certain: darker plans were at work.

  It was Zephyr Lu who broke the silence. “Please come to the rear hall to rest.”

  Chapter Six

  Dragon Whips Tail

  1

  “I PROMISED YOUR SHIFU I’D LET YOU GO,” ZEPHYR LU SAID to Wanyan Kang, as Laurel Lu lifted the Jin Prince to his feet.

  The young man could only glare back. Of course, Zephyr Lu was aware that Wanyan Kang’s limbs were locked through his acupressure points – he even noticed it had been done in a way different from that taught on Peach Blossom Island. Though he could free the young man, it might be deemed impolite by the person who had put Wanyan Kang into that state. He was certain he would be released when the moment was right.

  Zhu Cong stepped forward and pinched Wanyan Kang in the waist a few times, then patted him on the back. The young man regained the command of his body immediately.

  Having seen Wanyan Kang fight, Zephyr Lu was impressed how Zhu Cong had immobilised the Jin Prince without exchanging a blow. Under normal circumstances, the Second Freak would not have been able to subdue the young man so easily. Yet, in the chaos after the roof’s collapse, Wanyan Kang was busy freeing the Song official that had been travelling with him. That had given Zhu Cong the chance to steal close and restrain them both.

  “Take him with you,” Zhu Cong said, as he massaged the captured official’s vital points.

  The man bowed deeply when he could move again, overcome with euphoria; he had been delivered from the jaws of death. “Your humble servant Justice Duan thanks the magnanimous hero for sparing my life. Should my lord—”

  “You are . . . Justice Duan?” The name rang and rang in Guo Jing’s ears.

  “Yes, young hero.”

  “You were a martial officer in Lin’an, eighteen years ago.”

  “Indeed, young hero.” He then turned to Laurel Lu. “Abbot Withered Wood is, in fact, my uncle. In a way, we are related!” He laughed awkwardly.

  Guo Jing looked Justice Duan up and down, silently taking in everything about this desperate man as he ingratiated himself with smiles and small talk.

  “Squire Lu, may I use the rear hall for a moment?” Guo Jing said at last.

  “Of course.”

  Guo Jing grabbed Justice Duan by the arm and marched off. The Freaks followed, thanking the heavens for this stroke of luck. If this vile traitor had not revealed his own name, they would not have realised that he was the very person they had tracked for tens of thousands of li, all those years ago.

  Zephyr Lu, Laurel Lu and Wanyan Kang, mystified by Guo Jing’s reaction, trailed after them.

  As they entered the rear hall, Guo Jing turned to one of the servants lighting the candles and asked for a brush and some paper. When the writing instruments were brought to him, the young man said, “Second Shifu, please write a spirit tablet for my father.”

  HERE LIES THE SPIRIT OF PATRIOT SKYFURY GUO. Zhu Cong wrote the characters large and clear, and placed the paper reverentially in the centre of the table.

  Justice Duan shrivelled at the sight of the name. He had hoped the nice young man was taking him for a late-night meal to calm his nerves. He so desperately wanted to flee, but the rotund figure of Ryder Han filled his vision before he could lift so much as a toe.

  Duan immediately felt his trousers clinging to his legs, warm and sodden. He had seen this
frightening form before. At an inn in Yangzhou, he had caught a glimpse of him between the door and the jamb. This man and six others, they had followed him as he dragged Skyfury Guo’s widow north.

  Duan looked from face to face, silently counting, before crumpling into a trembling heap on the floor. Though he had seen the Freaks earlier, at the banquet, he had been too preoccupied by his predicament and had not put two and two together.

  “What would you prefer, a quick death or a bit of pain first?” Guo Jing barked.

  Justice Duan realised his only hope of survival was to own up and shift the guilt onto someone else. “Though this lowly man played a small part in Patriot Guo’s misfortune, I was simply following ord—”

  “Who gave the order? Who sent you to kill my father? Speak now!”

  “Wanyan Honglie! The Sixth Prince of the Great Jin Empire.”

  “How dare you!” Wanyan Kang cried.

  Justice Duan reasoned that he might mitigate his guilt if he dragged another into the mire, if he could argue he was simply a pawn in someone else’s game. So he relayed in great detail how Wanyan Honglie had met and fallen for Ironheart Yang’s wife, Charity Bao, how the Jin Prince had used his influence to bribe the Song officials with gold and silver to send soldiers to get rid of Ironheart Yang and Skyfury Guo, and how Wanyan Honglie had pretended to happen across the raid and mount a heroic rescue of Charity Bao. He also told Guo Jing how he had escaped to Zhongdu with the boy’s mother as hostage, how they were captured by the Jin army and pressed into service as porters on their march to Mongolia, and how they had been separated in battle. He even explained how he had found his way back to Lin’an and found his path to preferment, to his current high position in the government. He fell to his knees as he concluded his tale.

  “Hero Guo, Lord Guo, this is the truth. I am nobody. I remember your honourable father. A real man – righteous, handsome, such a commanding presence – I didn’t want to hurt him. It would have been an honour to befriend him. But . . . but I was just a soldier, a lowly official. I received a command – it wasn’t up to me. I truly admired your father, I would have spared his life if . . . Justice is my name and I have aspired, ever since I was a child, to live up to it, it’s just . . .”

  The man glanced up from his grovelling. Guo Jing glared back, dark like iron and hard as steel. The official prostrated himself before Skyfury Guo’s memorial, knocking his head loudly and fearfully against the ground in a sign of the utmost respect and submission.

  “Grandmaster Guo, I submit myself to your spirit in the heavens. You must understand it was Wanyan Honglie, the Sixth Prince of the Jin Empire, who was your nemesis. Yes, that beast! Not me, not this nobody. Why, I’m no more significant than an ant. Your spirit above must rejoice to see your son so upstanding and heroic. Please, my lord, be merciful. Please ask him to spare this wretched life of mine . . .”

  Duan continued to ramble and kowtow to the spirit of Skyfury Guo, but his appeals were soon cut short. Wanyan Kang leapt up, then came swooping down, crushing his fellow captive’s skull with both hands.

  Guo Jing collapsed by the table in a torrent of tears. Zephyr Lu, Laurel Lu and the Six Freaks took turns to pay their respects to Skyfury Guo.

  Wanyan Kang followed, sinking to his knees and touching his head to the ground. He stood up and turned to Guo Jing. “Brother Guo, I had no idea until just now that . . . that Wanyan Honglie is our enemy. I have behaved most unnaturally through ignorance; I truly deserve ten thousand deaths.” He thought of the suffering his mother had been through and started to cry.

  “What will you do?” Guo Jing asked.

  “I now know the name Wanyan has no meaning for me,” he said. “From now on, my name will be Yang. I am called Yang Kang.”

  “These are the words of a man who remembers his roots,” Guo Jing said. “I’m leaving for Yanjing tomorrow. To kill Wanyan Honglie. Will you come with me?”

  Yang Kang was not sure how to answer. After all, Wanyan Honglie had raised him and treated him as his own blood. However, noticing Guo Jing’s face darkening, he immediately said, “Of course! I shall follow my brother’s lead.”

  “Excellent! Your late papa and my mother both told me that our fathers once pledged that we should be sworn brothers. How does that sound?”

  “There is nothing I want more.”

  Yang Kang asked Guo Jing his birthday to determine who would be the elder brother. It turned out he was one month younger than Guo Jing.

  Kneeling side by side, they bowed eight times at Skyfury Guo’s memorial and became brothers.

  2

  THE NEXT MORNING, ZEPHYR LU PRESENTED THE FREAKS AND Yang Kang with generous parting gifts as they said their farewells. Guo Jing, however, refused to take anything more from his host. Meanwhile, Cyclone Mei was beginning to settle in at Roaming Cloud Manor. She was given her own quarters as well as dedicated servants and ladies in waiting.

  “Brother Yang and I will head north to find Wanyan Honglie,” Guo Jing said to his shifus as they strolled away from the manor with their horses.

  “We will come with you,” Ke Zhen’e said, and there was a chorus of agreement from his martial siblings. “We have no engagements until our contest with Tiger Peng on Moon Festival.”

  “Shifu, it would not be right for me to take you north again. You haven’t been back to the south for two decades because of me – and your home is just a few days’ ride from here. Wanyan Honglie knows no kung fu. With Brother Yang’s help, I am sure it won’t be difficult to kill him.”

  Though the Freaks were keen to accompany Guo Jing on his quest, the call of home was strong too. They also had little cause to fear for his safety, given the vast improvement in his kung fu. So, they took turns to bid the young man farewell and offer advice.

  Jade Han was the last to speak. “You don’t have to go Peach Blossom Island.” She knew Guo Jing would never break his promise, but she had at least to try to stop him from walking knowingly into danger. Apothecary Huang’s cruel ways were legendary.

  “I cannot go back on my word.”

  “What’s the point of keeping faith with such a vile, evil man? Brother, you are too inflexible,” Yang Kang interjected.

  Ke Zhen’e snorted and turned to his disciple. “We martial men must always honour our word. You need not travel with your sworn brother. Mount Ulaan and gallop to Zhongdu for your revenge. If you succeed, excellent; if you fail this time, remember that it may take years for a man of principle to be avenged. There will always be another chance to plunge a blade into that villain, Wanyan Honglie.

  “Today is the fifth day of the sixth month. Meet us at the Garden of the Eight Drunken Immortals in Jiaxing on the first of the seventh month, and we will go to Peach Blossom Island with you.”

  Guo Jing fell to his knees and bowed in gratitude.

  Yang Kang had sped up to distance himself from the group as he heard Ke Zhen’e’s pointed remark. Gilden Quan now took the chance to whisper a word of warning: “He’s born to wealth and rank. He doesn’t seem like an upright man of honour to me. Beware.”

  Guo Jing nodded solemnly.

  “That daughter of Apothecary Huang is nothing like her old man, eh?” Zhu Cong said with a chuckle, in an attempt to diffuse the tension. “We aren’t upset about her anymore, are we, Third Brother?”

  “She called me a squat melon!” Ryder Han tugged at his beard. “But I’ll admit she’s a bit better looking than me.” He giggled at his own joke.

  Guo Jing laughed along with the rest of the Freaks, pleased that his shifus had come around to Lotus. However, their current separation and the uncertainty of their reunion weighed heavy on his heart.

  “Swift be your ride! We’ll await your good news in Jiaxing.”

  With these parting words from Gilden Quan, the Freaks mounted their horses and rode south.

  3

  GUO JING WATCHED HIS SHIFUS DISAPPEAR BEYOND THE horizon before mounting Ulaan to catch up with Yang Kang.

  The two
young men rode slowly northwards. It was Guo Jing who broke the silence. “My horse is very fast. It will only take me a fortnight to ride there and back. But let’s travel together for a few days at first.”

  Yang Kang did not reply, trying to hide the upheaval churning inside. Just a month ago, he had come south as Imperial Ambassador of the Great Jin Empire, escorted by a large envoy of guards and attendants. Now, he rode north all alone. His retinue, his wealth, his status – all had vanished like a spring dream. Though he was relieved that Guo Jing had stopped pressing him to come along to Zhongdu for the assassination, he was torn as he tried to resolve one burning question: should he find a way to warn Wanyan Honglie?

  Guo Jing noticed Yang Kang’s unease, but the simple-minded fellow assumed his sworn brother was thinking about his late parents, and left him to grieve.

  At around midday, they arrived in Liyang. Just as they started to look for a place to rest, a man waved at them to stop.

  “Sirs, are you Master Guo and Master Yang? We have food and drink ready for you; please come with me.”

  Guo Jing and Yang Kang exchanged a look of surprise.

  “How do you know our names?” Yang Kang asked.

  “A gentleman gave us your description this morning and bade us to prepare lunch for your arrival.” The man smiled and took the reins of the horses. “Allow me to show you to your table.”

  The waiter first brought a flagon of Floral Carving yellow wine of good vintage, then returned with bowls of fine noodles accompanied by a variety of elegantly prepared dishes, one of which was Guo Jing’s favourite – braised chicken with mushrooms. It was an unexpectedly good meal.

  When they asked for the bill, the waiter told them it was already settled.

  “Such generosity from Roaming Cloud Manor,” Yang Kang sneered as he handed the waiter one tael of silver as a tip. The man bowed repeatedly as he saw his patrons all the way to the door, unable to believe his luck.